Curit posts a time of 57.46 in 400 meters, breaks eight-year-old school record

Maria Curit

BOSTON, Mass. (February 10, 2012) – Freshman Maria Curit (Biddeford, Maine/Biddeford) broke an eight-year-old school record and provisionally qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championships in the 400 meter run to lead the Stonehill College women's track and field team on day one of the Boston University (BU) Valentine Invitational, hosted at the BU Track & Tennis Center, on Friday night.

Curit posted a time of 57.46 shattering Jackie Burbank's mark of 59.03 set at Boston University on February 14, 2004. Curit, who currently ranks tied for 16^th nationally in the 400 meter run, is the first female-student athlete for Stonehill's indoor track and field team to provisionally qualify for the NCAA National Championships since Dana DeIngenis (Cranston, R.I.) placed fifth overall at the 2007 New England Championships with a time of 4:58.35 in the one mile run.

Stonehill's distance medley relay (DMR) team of Lindsay Pinkham (Skowhegan, Maine), Christen Carrier (Manchester, N.H./Manchester Central), Susan O'Connell (East Greenwich, R.I.) and Kristina Coriaty (Brockton, Mass.) are the last members of the indoor track and field team to provisionally qualify for nationals registering a time of 12:18.54 in the DMR on February 14, 2009, a school record at the time.

Junior Katie Bernazzani (Norwood, Mass./Norwood) broke her own school record in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 9.26 in her preliminary heat. Bernazzani, who did not advance to the finals, eclipsed her own mark of 9.35 set on February 26, 2011 at the New England Championships at Boston University.

In the 5,000 meter run, senior Kristen Mahoney (Weymouth, Mass./Weymouth) and junior Caroline McBride (North Reading, Mass./North Reading) both hit the New England Championships automatic qualifying standard with career-best times. Mahoney placed 21^st overall in 17:43.25 while McBride ran a time of 17:54.25.

Senior Vlada Shelkova (Newington, Conn./Newington) fell just short of breaking her own school record in the triple jump with a leap of 35-feet and 1.25-inches for a 17^th place finish overall among 31 competitors.

Kristen Mahoney

Other Stonehill highlights include:

Sophomore Chelsea Bishop (Suffield, Conn./Suffield) ran a personal best time of 10:32.15 in the 3,000 meters placing 53^rd overall in a field of 85 runners.

Junior Kristen Veit (Easthampton, Mass./Holyoke Catholic) led a trio of Skyhawks in the one mile run placing 69^th overall with a time of 5:11.63 among 143 competitors. Freshman Brianna Venturo (Taunton, Mass./Coyle & Cassidy) finished 78^th overall in 5:14.04 while classmate Erin Rielly (Burlington, Mass./Burlington) recorded a new personal best time of 5:19.71 (102^nd overall).

In the 800 meters, Carrier placed 53rd overall among 151 runners with a time of 2:18.17.

Stonehill returns to the BU Track & Tennis Center tomorrow for day two of the Boston University Valentine Invitational in the distance medley relay scheduled for 10:30 a.m.

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